


With Low Heat, Water Boils

by SleepingTides



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bellarke, F/M, Grounder Bellamy Blake, Grounder Culture, Grounder Octavia Blake, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-10-14 03:53:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17501042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingTides/pseuds/SleepingTides
Summary: Clarke and the 100 land on earth a bit more prepared than canonverse but still short of things to survive through the winter. To ensure everyone lives, Clarke offers Skaikru's knowledge of technology and other things for an alliance. Commander Blake and his sister Octavia ask for an arranged marriage.Bellarke AU.





	1. Delegations Negotiate

It wasn’t as if she’d been expecting any different. The Triku delegation had made it the neutral grounds to negotiate, but they were not happy about it. Well, neither was Skaikru. So, again, she wasn’t expecting anything different. The sour faces, the skeptical looks, and especially the glares that Octavia threw her way. It was not a surprise. Even then, however, Clarke felt an uneasiness in her chest that ebbed closer like the tide on a full moon as the progressed through negotiations.

“We have farmers on our own clan,” she spat, “How would merging ours with yours benefit our clan?”

Clarke tried her hardest to not let the disdain show on her face, but sensed that some of it might be seeping through her hard gaze at the black-haired delegate. A pause. “Our farming technologies are solid and proven by science. We can enhance the crops, build special shelters to grow crops during the winter.” This was something that she had already explained.

“So, your people wouldn’t starve.” Octavia said, raising her chin an inch defiantly. Clarke almost sighed in frustration; instead, she drew a breath in and explained that the crops may be enough to supply both clans, but only if they had access to the land and materials they would need to build them. Octavia hesitated for a minute.

“Look, we came down without any knowledge of the existence of people on the ground. We were prepared to use the land as our own—“

“As conquerors—“ Octavia interrupted.

“No, not as conquerors. As settlers. Like the old days. Obviously, that is not the plan anymore, since we have arrived on your land.” Clarke finished explaining, “The ark sent us down with enough supplies to survive, but not to establish ourselves here. We have enough to build shelters, but not permanent ones. We are in late spring. Summer is beginning and before we know it, autumn will be here. My people can survive for six more months on what we’ve been able to accomplish so far, but without proper land accommodations and building supplies, we cannot protect ourselves from winter.” Clarke disliked admitting it, but she needed Triku’s help and their land. “I hate to state the obvious, but I think it needs to be reiterated that we are the ones with something to lose here.” She looked into Octavia’s eyes. She was afraid to seem weak in front of her, simply because she did not want to come off as desperate, at least not desperate enough to let the grounders do whatever they wished. She needed an alliance and a way to unite their clans without upsetting fair balance. A compromise that would ensure they both got a win out of this.

“Octavia pursed her lips and nodded slightly with consideration. “I’ll let my brother know what you’ve brought to the table.” She stood, and everyone else did too. Clarke positioned her shoulders back and held up her head. “There is much to discuss and think about. Are your people in accordance with what you have offered?”

Building materials, seeds, and the permission to expand by quite a few acres. Everything they would need to build a lasting settlement. They would only need to provide workers and engineer trainees for a joint effort in evolving Trikru’s technology.

“They are aware of what this discussion entails.” Responded Clarke. Her people: a bunch of teenagers and a few children who had at one point been criminals in their original society. Some who were starving and some who were sick. This was what Clarke could do for them at this point. Their immune systems had not been prepared for life on the ground, even when they had all been vaccinated and trained for what to expect. Still. 18 of them had died in the last month due to infections and viruses that Clarke had no knowledge of. Things that she had never seen in the Ark. Her heart was heavy with guilt and powerlessness when she thought of all the ones she attempted to save with futile efforts. 

Octavia nodded. “I will see you here again in three-days time.”

Clarke nodded back at her. “Safe travels.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

“You think their commander will accept the terms?” Raven said, after swallowing a mouthful of dried venison. It’s the first question she had gotten about it all day.

“It’s quite possible.” Clarke responded, drinking some tea she had made with herbs found nearby. “Their general, Octavia, seemed like a bitch, but she’s not stupid. She knows we have good things to offer.”

“They might not see it that way. We may be walking into a trap.” Finn said, from the end of the table.

“Maybe,” Monty said, “but at least we tried it.”

Clarke sent a small smile Monty’s way and focused back on her tea. She’d love to have some sugar to tame down the bitterness in it, but this would have to do, for now. They all finished their dinner, cleaned, and packed up for the night, ensuring that no animals would get into their supplies for the trip.

Clarke and Raven went into their tent, while the boys retreated into theirs. They comfortably undressed and set up for bedtime. It was much less awkward now than when Raven had first come down and the love triangle and been exposed. Raven broke it off with Finn a few days after she landed, and Clarke made peace with her by confessing how valuable Raven was to the group. Although Clarke would never trust Finn with her heart again, she knew they could all work together for the better of the group.

“What do you think he looks like?” Raven asked, as she settled down on her sleeping bag.

“Who?” Clarke asked, as she settled down in hers.

“The king.” Raven replied, smirking with her typical sassiness at Clarke. “You think he’s some sexy grounder king? Or maybe a gross, entitled, jerky king?”

Clarke laughed and she looked sideways at her friend, “Well, first of all, he’s not a king. He’s a commander. And second, he’s probably gorgeous, considering how his sister is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Excuse you!” Raven scoffed, smiling from ear to ear, “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Clarke laughed again and Raven followed. 

“Who’s keeping watch?” Clarke asked, yawning. Raven informed her that Finn was out there with one of the guns they’d found in the bunker. Clarke nodded and shortly after, she fell asleep.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Raven and Clarke spent the day before Octavia was due back bathing in the stream and talking about strategy while the boys did their own thing. She let Raven know her concerns about the logistics of the alliance. Who was to go with Trikru and who was to stay at the dropship. They agreed that Raven and Wells would stay behind to oversee construction of the lodging and settlement while Clarke and Monty would got to Tondc to secure the alliance and begin preparations for the green houses, since Monty was the expert with that one. The groups would split evenly, with the exception of an extra hunting party of 5 people that would stay behind with Raven and Wells.

“It won’t be easy to be away from you,” Clarke confessed to Raven and they both soaked their feet in the stream. Raven nodded slightly and smiled at Clarke. 

“I know.” They both laughed, “All jokes aside though, we trust you, Clarke. We know you will do everything in your power to help us survive, and eventually thrive.”

“I promise,” Clarke assured Raven, meeting her beautiful brown eyes. They both seemed to communicate that way and pledge each other their friendship for as long as they would live.

The night seemed to last forever, as Clarke was unable to sleep deeply. They had talked about all the arrangements of the alliance, but they didn’t even know if a deal had been struck yet. And Clarke worried. Anxiety gnawing at her insides and her heart. All she had to do was wait.

The next morning when Octavia’s party arrived, there seemed to be a larger group that the original amount of escorts. Clarke panicked for a second, thinking that they were here to decline the deal and kill them, but Octavia advanced unarmed with two escorts at her heels and stretched her hand out to Clarke after informing her the commander had accepted their terms with some conditions. Clarke shook her hand and began to walk into the tent the grounders had set up a few days prior for negotiations followed by Raven and Monty. 

Octavia stopped her, "Could we talk by ourselves today?"

Clarke, Monty, and Raven stopped and exchanged looks of hesitance, but Clarke nodded at them and they receded. Clarke walked in and the sat at the makeshift table specifically made for this dialogue.

They talked about what they had already agreed on and moved on to the new terms commander Blake had sent with his sister.

“His council advised him to accept all other terms with two of his own making.” Octavia explained, “The first is that you will accept some of our people into your settlement. The reasoning behind this is that we want to be sure your people are following through with your commands and building according to the laws of Trikru. The commander also instructed these volunteers were to provide help to your people, as needed, as well as protection from any unforeseen circumstances.”

Clarke processed the statement. “So, they are armed?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.

“Yes,” Octavia answered, “However, they will be proving weapons to your people as well. To prevent unbalanced power.”

Clarke agreed to this after a moment of thought. She was sure her people would be uncomfortable at first, but had to admit that if they wanted a true alliance with Octavia’s clan, they would have to get used to its people and eventually embrace them as their own. 

“And the second?” Clarke asked, assuming that this second contingent was just another part of logistics.

Octavia sat still for a second, searching Clarke’s eyes with an intense gaze that made her second guess herself. “It is customary here that clans unite by marriage.” Octavia said simply.

It took a moment for Clarke to decompress and comprehend what Octavia was truly saying. 

“Marriage.”

“Yes.” Octavia replied, “One of your leaders with ours. Someone essential to Skaikru.”

There was a long pause from Clarke, and Octavia raised her eyebrows at her, as if expecting an immediate ‘yes.’

“Do your people do this often?” Clarke inquired. Where they trying to trick her? Or was this a tradition, something common between grounders?

“Very.” Came the reply. “Powerful families do it all the time as long as both parties consent.”

Clarke had never considered herself a romantic, especially not since the whole situation with Finn had broken her heart so severely, but somehow this sounded… _wrong_. How could they expect her to give one of her people to a stranger? Someone they had not fallen in love with? Someone they had not chosen?

“Has your commander determined who would give themselves to this marriage? Willingly, of course.” If they were asking this of one of her people, they were asking this of one of their people as well. 

“Yes,” Octavia said, and there was something in her voice, something uncomfortable about the statement she was making, that made Clarke feel like Octavia wasn’t completely on board with the idea either. “The commander himself.”

Clarke drew in a sharp breath, puffing up her chest and squaring her shoulders. She was expecting someone in the higher ranks… but she was not expecting _this_. If he was willing to put himself out there to make this alliance work, because what else could she make of this? Then, she would have to do the same. Her brain worked fast, as she listed reasons why she had to be the one as well. She was the one they had agreed on sending to Tondc anyways; She was romantically uninvolved, unlike Raven, Wells, or Monty; and she matched the position of leader among Skaikru just like commander Blake did among Trikru. 

“Does he have anyone in mind from our clan?” Clarke asked, before she volunteered.

Octavia made a face, raising her eyebrows and looking incredulous, as if she was saying, ‘What do you think?’ and looked Clarke up and down.

Clarke smiled stiffly and let the words come out of her mouth, “Then I would be glad to take the honor.”


	2. Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here it is. Uh... I never know what to say with these things. Ignore the typos and enjoy?

Clarke and Raven agreed that it was best to go their separate ways now. Clarke and Monty would collect the things they brought with them, follow Octavia, and those who were engineering and farm trainees in the ark among the 100 would follow within the week. They would accompanied by a couple of Trikru’s men, who had volunteered to go back to the dropship. Clarke did not see a reason why she should go back to the dropship except to explain the situation to Wells, who would try to convince her of some other plan to avoid marrying a stranger, just like Finn did when she went back to their tents for the day. Raven, on the other hand, had agreed with Clarke’s decision to volunteer, cracking a joke that she had too much attitude to put up with some ‘rando.’ Clarke had laughed it off, and they had hugged, partly because they were scared to leave each other, and partly because they were both looking forward to bettering their people’s lives with this alliance.

Clarke tossed and turned all night in her sleeping bag with Raven completely passed out next to her. She tried to imagine what her life would be like going forward, but all she knew was the constant anxiety gnawing at her insides. She tried to reassure herself several times. She knew she’d done what was needed, though she couldn’t help but wonder what the “grown-ups” from the ark would have said had she consulted them. Not that she could; communication was dead, even after Raven had tinkered with radio comms. They’d gone silent. They had to fend for themselves now.

The thoughts continued until the sky turned a royal blue and the stars were barely visible, at which point she decided it was no longer useful to sleep for ten minutes a time. She walked down to the creek to wash her face and braid her hair. She took a few minutes to breathe the fresh air and thank whoever was in charge of her destiny for allowing her to be here in this moment. And then she started walking.

Monty was packing up his things by the time she got back. Finn was waking up and stretching by the tent.

“Mornin’,” Monty said.

Clarke smiled softly and nodded at both of them. They all assumed their duties and packed up their own things. It went by faster than she anticipated, and in an hour, they were standing at the clearing where the tent for negotiations was being taken down by some of Octavia’s men. She stood a few feet back with an unguarded expression, talking to a man with tattoos covering the side of his neck and behind his ear. When she spotted Clarke, her demeanor changed, and her face hardened. She nodded in brief greeting and excused herself from the presence of the man. Clarke walked up to her and Octavia met her in the middle, all the while, her eyes examined her from boot to hairline, and casting a glance at Monty too.

“Everything settled?” Octavia confirmed. Clarke nodded. “Alright. Follow me.”

They walked behind Octavia for a few minutes through the brush on the opposite side of the clearing and soon they reached a small but bigger campsite than theirs, with six tents, and horses tied to several trees.

Clarke had seen horses from far away, but seeing them up close now caused her to widen her eyes at their magnificence. They were all muscle, and looked as if they could trample down in a minute. They kind of looked like deer, she supposed. One quick look at Monty, and she knew she wasn’t the only one at awe in that moment. 

Lincoln, as Octavia called him, the same man with the tattoo she was speaking to earlier, introduced himself to Clarke and Monty with a firm but friendly handshake that made Clarke feel at ease. He and some other volunteers would be going back with Finn and Raven, and the plan was to meet up again here in two months’ time, in the middle of summer, to catch up and check on progress. Octavia explained that Lincoln was an excellent builder and hunter, as well as a great warrior, among many other skills. Clarke couldn’t be sure if Octavia meant what she said because Lincoln was really that great, or because she could see Octavia’s enamored look when she spoke of him.

Clarke spoke very clearly and plainly to Lincoln about the dropship and their specific needs, as well as their strengths. She expressed her worry due to the lack of a healer back at the dropship since she was to go to Tondc now, and she could have sworn she saw Octavia’s eyebrows raise in surprise at the discovery of Clarke’s skills. Lincoln explained to Clarke that Nyko, a close friend of his and a healer, had volunteered to go with them, since they had anticipated the same need. 

Later, once they had been given their own horses and walked through logistics with both Lincoln and Octavia, Clarke saw Lincoln squeeze the dark-haired beauty’s hand and give her a reassuring smile on his way out of camp with the other volunteers. Octavia gave him a guarded smile back, knowing Clarke was watching, and she ordered then men remaining to mount their horses, including Clarke and Monty, and they began riding with one look forward.

  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

After most grounders had avoided conversation with Clarke and Monty for a day, they arrived at Tondc and Clarke was astounded by wooden, brick, and stone buildings. They were two or three stories high at the most, but more impressive than Clarke had ever seen in her life.

Her golden hair stood out within the Trikru clan, making her feel out of place and self-conscious. Back at the dropship, many had been fair-skinned, with blue eyes, and light hair. Here, she looked as if she’d been washed out and left out in the sun to bleach. She felt the stares on her, but she kept her eyes on the dirt road leading to a stone and wooden building in the middle of the town. 

Her hands began sweating as she held the reigns. She knew her horse was tied to someone else’s, but all the same, she held on to the thin leather straps. Her eyes focused on the people standing at the foot of the building, all in light armor and with weapons at their hip. She searched for him, but they were all dressed the same, and she was too far to truly make out their features. If he was Octavia’s brother, he would look like her. Right?

“What have I done?” She murmured to herself, searching the men and women there as their party stopped and began to unmount. She was helped by the woman whose horse she had been tethered to and climbed off her own clumsily. Again, she looked for him, but it was hard to concentrate in the new surroundings.

A group of four began walking forward, a dark-skinned woman with tattoos on her face, short and sturdy, all muscle, with a fierce face. To her left, a man with a shaved head, of average stature, and a grounded walk. Another, with grey eyes, fair skin, dark brown hair, and a curved nose. His walk arrogant, but so much so, that Clarke saw right through it, and into his insecurities. The last, a man slightly taller than most, with soft, dark brown hair curling about his face, a square face with a strong chin, and… were those…. Freckles?

“Brother,” Octavia stepped forward with a smirk, breaking Clarke out of her spell.

“Sister,” he greeted her, with a low, conservative voice. The man with the freckles. He looked at Clarke and Clarke looked at him. There was a pause while he shifted his gaze down and then back up, appraising her and then eventually meeting her eyes. Clarke did the same, knowing she was looking at the man she’d be married to soon.

She expected to see approval in his eyes at the very least. But when she met his dark, honeyed eyes, she saw nothing.

Nothing.

Her heart began to race, as if it hadn’t before, and she realized the man before her was extremely handsome. His lips were full, his jaw line sharp. But there was no feeling in his eyes, and Clarke’s stomach dropped.

“This is Clarke kom Skaikru.” Octavia introduced her, making a gesture signaling to Clarke. 

“Commander Blake,” Clarke said, the strength behind her voice did not fail her, and she was thankful. He nodded in response, pressed his lips together and whirled around, walking towards the building. The rest followed him.

“What a warm welcome,” Monty said behind her, and Clarke almost jumped. She exhaled with relief after realizing it was only her friend and murmured, “You scared the shit out of me.”

Monty smiled at Clarke and together they followed Trikru inside the building.

  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Clarke had never tasted such rich in flavor food before, and it took everything in her not to moan out loud once she put the first cube of cheese in her mouth. Monty was apparently thinking the same thing, as he made a comment about it being orgasmic minutes later, to which Clarke burst out laughing. She felt a heavy glance on her, and looking to the head of the table, three seats down, she saw commander Blake eyeing her curiously, immediately shifting his gaze to Miller, one of the men from earlier, sitting to his right.

The evening wore on as they ‘welcomed’ her and Monty with the dinner. The wine was bitter, but sweet at the same time, and she had never felt like this while eating. She was careful not to look like a gluttonous child, but that was hard to do with the spread before her. The man to her right, Murphy, she had learned his name was, picked at his food and looked bored at the table. She could not understand how anyone could look that sour with this sort of food at their finger tips.

Once they were mostly done, Commander Blake stood, and everyone followed, leaving Clarke no choice but to do so as well.

“I will take my wine to my apartments. If the members of Skaikru were so kind as to follow me.”

It sounded more like a command than a request, and it rubbed Clarke the wrong way, but she wasn’t about to rebel for that petty reason, so she picked up her wine, as did Monty, and followed the Commander out of the room, down the hall, and into the left wing of the building.

The commander opened two heavy, ornate iron doors and held them open for her and Monty to pass. Then he closed them heavily behind them. Clarke admired the large hall she’d entered, furnished with chairs, a heavy iron table, and a fire place. It was unlit, as it was too hot in the late spring to need such a thing. Stairs marked the far wall and disappeared into a loft above them, which she assumed was his room.

She turned to him, waiting for any further commands, but he looked at her for a moment and then walked around her, taking a seat at the other side of the iron table.

“I like the combination of iron and wood,” Monty said, appreciating the room around him.

“We use what is available to us.” The commander responded briefly.

“Well, it looks good.” Monty said. Walking around with his cup of wine in hand. A few moments passed, and Clarke felt awkward, standing there as the commander shuffled through some papers on the table.

“This is where we can build the... winter houses.” The commander said, hesitantly.

“They’re called green houses,” Monty corrected patiently, suddenly interested and walking towards the map spread out on the table. 

“It’s near where the clearing is,” the commander explained, “We could send some our people with you, and you can ask for yours to help. After they’ve built all their housing, of course.”

“Yes,” Monty agreed, “But we want to get a start as soon as possible, we need to get the soil ready before we start. It’ll be of no use to us if we start once it’s cold.” 

The commander nodded. They talked about materials and how many people they would need. How long it might take. The commander agreed to commit some more of his people to the effort, and Monty was pleased to hear it. All the while, Clarke stood silently, watching the handsome stranger point at things on the map, and listen intently to Monty. He seemed genuinely interested and invested in this endeavor. Clarke admired the lines on his face, the freckles that spread out over the bridge of his nose and cheeks. She discovered that they spread onto his forehead, under the cover of his hair. She also listened to his deep voice make precise remarks about the plans. He mulled over things quietly before he spoke over the map. They were always helpful, his comments, and although he was careful to let his demeanor show who was the boss in the situation, he was also listening to Monty with an intent to take his commentary into account.

Their discussion came to a natural conclusion, with the suggestions fading, and nodding and agreements taking their place. The commander finally looked up at Clarke, and her face flushed, as if she had been caught coveting something that was not hers to want.

“Do you agree?” He asked, and it took her a moment to settle her brain into a feasible answer.

“Yes.” She replied simply. A hint of embarrassment preyed at her gut because she knew the answer was insufficient. As the leader of her people, she should have more to say. But in this moment, she was lost in this stranger’s eyes.

He nodded, and thanked Monty for his input. “Indra will lead you to where you will be sleeping for the next month. Your belongings should have already been placed in your rooms.”

“Thank you, Commander Blake.” Monty said, with a soft smile. Clarke attempted to smile, but it felt short. 

“The name’s Bellamy.” He said simply. Both Monty and Clarke nodded. Monty was already heading out the door and Clarke was turning when Bellamy called her back softly. “Wait,” he hesitated, “could you I talk with you for just a moment?”

Clarke felt her heart speed up and her stomach turn. “Of course.”

Indra closed the door behind Monty, and Clarke stood as straight as she could to face Bellamy.  
A moment passed, both of them unsure of themselves. Although Clarke could tell the commander was mulling over whatever he was going to say, she could still feel the guarded demeanor he kept about him. 

“I understand this might be odd for you.” Bellamy said very straight forward, “Octavia said you seemed surprised at the prospect of an arranged marriage.”

“It was not something we practiced in the ark,” she responded, searching his eyes.

“We do this often among clans,” Bellamy assured her, still firm and closed off. Clarke nodded at him. “It is not like a love marriage. Our reasons to join are obviously different than most.”

He looked down at the map and touched it with his fingertips. “I want to be clear. Paperwork will be signed, traditions will be upheld, and eventually, tangible evidence of the consummation must be presented,” he paused, and Clarke suddenly felt like throwing up, “but I expect nothing more from you than loyalty to our alliance and our people.”

He shifted his gaze to her eyes again, and Clarke felt the weight in his words. It wasn’t quite disappointment that she felt. No. It was like letting a pebble go in a pond, and never seeing it again with the temporary ripples in the water reminding you that it once existed.

“I understand.” She said, “I will expect the same from you.”

And with that, she turned and left the room.


	3. Daunting Ceremonies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took me so long....
> 
> I really have nothing to say for myself.
> 
> Enjoy!

Clarke woke feeling warm and cozy, wanting to stay in bed covered in the cotton sheets and wool blankets that had been given to her the day she arrived here. For once in the last three months, Clarke felt content. She felt no need to rush, to check on things, or to feel guilty for staying in bed. It had been a week since she arrived. She had spent the last few days with Monty and Indra, talking about traditions of the Trikru people. Clarke felt no rush until she remembered what the day held for her and she began feeling anxious.

Today, Indra’s daughter, Gaia, which Clarke had met the second day, would be waiting for her in the waiting area of the longhouse to discuss all things marriage. After lounging around for a few more minutes, Clarke got up with a sigh and put pants on. She washed her face, cleaned herself up as best she could, and went into the kitchen for breakfast.

Since the longhouse was a place for guests within Tondc, Clarke was accompanied by guests from nearby villages and clans, as well as Monty. She looked around to find rugged faces and smooth faces alike. Monty spoke softly as they ate in their habitual corner of the kitchen and Clarke chimed in as expected. She felt nervous about the day, knowing that Gaia would only talk about rituals and marriage; Clarke wasn’t really sure she wanted to hear what Trikru had in store for her. Up in the ark, people went to the council and signed some papers. The chancellor would declare them married and that was that. In the ark, a marriage was more important that a wedding day. She hoped it would be similar here, after all, a day of materialistic pleasure was nothing compared to a lifetime of misery.

She was grateful for Monty’s prattling about nothing. It kept her nerves at bay. When the day was due to really begin, though, and Monty excused himself for a meeting with some farmer from another clan, Clarke was left with a sharp and uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, as well as the need to vomit. 

‘I’m doing this for my people,’ she repeated for the nth time to herself, ‘For survival. For our thriving future.”

After a minute or two of composing herself, Clarke headed to the living space of the longhouse, where game, clay vases, and dried flowers decorated the walls and furnishings.

While Clarke browsed the limited collection of paintings of the living space, Gaia announced her arrival with a knock and some words in Trisaldeng and then walked in.

Clarke greeted Gaia courtly and Gaia did the same. She jumped right in to the day’s plans and told her a little about the grounder’s religion and their expectations for an arranged marriage. They sat at a large table made of dark stained wood in the living space. Clarke had listened intently, apprehensive, and with her gut twisting, but with intentions of following every instruction and memorizing all things wedding-related. 

From what she could gather, there would be quite a few ceremonies after the marriage, some immediate, and some within weeks, which was very surprising for Clarke. Why couldn’t they marry and be done with it?

In three days, Clarke and Bellamy would go through a purifying ceremony at early morning in a creek. Gaia talked about bathing, with clothes on, and breaking away with things of the past. That same evening, they would marry in a venue of their choosing, and ‘join blood.’ Whatever that meant. Immediately after saying their vows, Clarke was told that her and Bellamy would exchange gifts suitable to one another.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start with that.” Clarke said, disheartened. “What do you gift a commander? I barely know the man.”

“Well, he’s not the commander to you, is he? He will be your husband. His title should not matter to you. Besides, that’s the whole point,” Gaia said, “It’s to begin bonding the couple. Arranged marriage couples don’t have the chance to fall in love before they marry, which is why this provides you an opportunity to dig up some information about him. Having to give him a gift that he will like will require that you get to know some of the things he enjoys. It is only this way that you can gift him something he will be pleased with.”

“Oh,” Clarke said, “I guess that makes sense. Who should I ask for help? Is it cheating if I ask him?”

Gaia chuckled. “Yes, that is cheating. You could ask his sister,” she suggested, and Clarke gave her a skeptical look, “or Miller. Or both.”

Clarke looked at her hands for a minute. She nodded. If she was doing this, she would be doing It right.

Gaia said she had planned a lunch with Bellamy, as well as the afternoon so that they could choose their venue for the wedding. Clarke internally rolled her eyes and scoffed.

‘Please… that man could care less about where we marry.’ Clarke thought, but she smiled flatly at Gaia and heeded her advice about keeping an open mind in all things wedding. 

“I’ve got some designs for your wedding dress,” Gaia said, pulling out some scrolls of paper out of her leather bag and placing them out on the dark wood. “The seamstresses that took your measures when you arrived have volunteered to create the outfits for the commander’s wedding. Most of them have known him since he was a child.”

“He grew up here, I’m guessing.” Clarke said.

“Yes, but also, his mother was a seamstress. She was one of the kindest women Tondc has ever known. Her friends loved her and Bellamy grew up around them.” Gaia explained, spreading out the scrolls on the sturdy table. The designs were beautiful. Honestly, Clarke could have cared less about what she wore to the wedding, since up in the ark, most people wore their usual clothes to their marriage ceremony. Of course, up there, there was a shortage of materials. Here, the grounders had begun farming cotton and jute. They also had sheep for wool and hunted animals for meat and fur.

Clarke ran her fingers over the scrolls. The dresses were all quite revealing. She’d be married in late spring, a couple of days from now, so it wasn’t the weather she was worried about but rather, the fact that she had dressed in nothing but modest clothes her entire life. 

One drawing showed a dress with a high neck that had a wide open back. The dress had short sleeves and was long with a minimal train behind it. The next, featured heavy embroidery on the waistline with a low-cut neck. The front of the dress was very short, but it had a long train. Clarke thought they were both absolutely gorgeous, but neither of them really spoke to her. The third, however, showed the straps draping over the shoulders with leading to a deep ‘V’ cut at the front that ended just below the breastplate. The dress had sleeves and was long enough to cover all her legs, but Clarke knew if she wore this, she’d feel like she was wearing nothing.

Clarke closed her eyes and chose the third dress, knowing she’d be scandalized when she saw herself in the mirror, but when would she ever have the opportunity to dress like that again if not on her wedding day? Gaia approved and then they moved on to other details that needed to be figured out as soon as possible. Clarke went along with it until her stomach started making weird noises and she turned red.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t eat much this morning,” Clarke confessed without telling Gaia that she was more nervous than she’d like to admit.

“It’s time to meet the commander.” Gaia said, packing up all things, and Clarke’s heart threw itself into a heated tantrum.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They arrived to meet Bellamy in the same room where Clarke had her last conversation with him. The one that caused her to harden her heart, because she just knew that this relationship she had with the commander would never be more than a political alliance.

She waited in the room, looking around, and noticed that Bellamy’s shelves were filled with old books. Some falling apart, some bound by thread, some rewritten into new, fresh pages covered by leather. She was flipping through one when she heard the heavy wood and iron doors open and Bellamy stomped in, with Miller trailing behind him. His face looked tense with a furrowed brow and lips parted with the corners tipping down.

“That’s not going to work,” Bellamy growled, running his hand through his hair and leaving it a hot, tussled mess. “That was not part of the deal.”

“That’s what Octavia has requested,” Miller replied. Bellamy grunted in frustration and shook his head.

“She has an army to lead.” He almost shouted. Gaia then cleared her throat and Bellamy’s shoulders snapped back, his mouth closed tightly, and he looked over at the intruders in his quarters. He was careful on how to react next; he drew a breath in and dismissed Miller with a simple nod of his head. He then turned to Gaia and greeted her very formally. Clarke stood awkwardly in the corner by the books, putting the one she held carefully back. Her and Bellamy’s eyes met, but there wasn’t much of a greeting.

“Shall we eat?” Gaia said, “We have things to discuss about the ceremony.”

“Yes. I apologize for being late,” Bellamy said tightly, “I’ve been dealing with some on-going situations.”

After a few seconds, Gaia and Clarke followed Bellamy to the same room where they had the dinner the day they first arrived. Clarke was pleased with the selection of food before her, but she very deliberately chose what to eat as not to stuff herself. 

Gaia discussed places where the ceremony could be held and Bellamy picked one after Clarke reiterated that she did not know these specific places. Then, Gaia began talking about the two days after the wedding which required a place for a retreat for the new spouses.

“The marriage must be consummated some time in those two days,” Gaia reminded Bellamy and informed Clarke. She immediately felt the heat rush to her face and a jolt of electricity in her chest down to her core. Uncomfortable in her chair, Clarke shifted her weight around and fisted her hands on her lap. She wasn’t necessarily afraid of the deed itself, she’d done it with Finn when they landed, and a girl up at the Ark before she got locked up. Her eyes searched for Bellamy’s, but he was looking the other direction at Gaia.

“Yes,” Bellamy said, clearing his throat, but showed no other emotion, “I’m aware of the things that need to be done.”

Clarke felt too close to Bellamy. She wanted to push her chair back, or sit three seats down the table. She was glued to her spot, however, and all she could do was give Bellamy a sideways glance while he kept his eyes on his plate. This was all so overwhelming. There was so much she didn’t know about the grounders’ culture and their traditions. Gaia had told her so much already but she never felt like it was enough. Indra walked her though the towns and the shops, but the people seemed incredibly foreign to her. She didn’t feel unwelcome, she just felt alien in the place where she was. She _was_ beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around the people she had met, like Indra, and Gaia, but the choices and words some grounders used still baffled her.

“Good,” Gaia said, and continued with other matters. “Now, as for the land and title Clarke will be receiving, I have taken the liberty of making some marks on a map and diving some acres for you,” she said, as she pulled out another scroll from her bag. This was news to Clarke. She brushed her hair back and then leaned over the table in interest over her desert. The markings on the map indicated that Clarke would be receiving, not only the surrounding land where the dropship and her home camp was, but some of the land next to Tondc as well. The land was all allocated to Bellamy, it appeared, and now half of it would be hers.

“This will continue to be yours, Clarke, as long as the alliance remains bonded.” Gaia said, looking directly into Clarke’s eyes and then looking to Bellamy’s where he approved with a nod.

Gaia explained that Clarke would be able to build on this land and that she may gift it to her children when they came of age. 

Children. Such a foreign concept. Up in the ark, Clarke wasn’t sure she’d ever want children, with the one child policy and all. She had grown up incredibly lonely since her mother was the main doctor for thousands of people and her father worked late nights in the engineering bay before he got floated. She thought she’d end up with a partner, of course, but in an apartment for the both of them and only for them. She looked up to her future husband only to realize that he was looking at her as well and their eyes met for a second. The thought of curly-haired toddlers walking around on their wobbly legs filled her mind’s eye and she realized that she may not mind that too much. She may not mind being a mother, a provider, a protector. She wouldn’t mind hearing the word ‘mommy’ come out of a freckled, little babe’s mouth.

A small smile slipped on to her lips before she could stop it, and for the first time, she saw Bellamy’s expression turn to something other than a business-only mask. He looked taken aback by her smile for a second, and gazed at Clarke’s lips before directing his eyes down to the map once again.

Clarke shook herself out of the stupor and continued the meeting with Gaia, who sustained talking, as if nothing had happened.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After that day, Indra had taken her around Tondc to show her the clinic and other important places. After that, they walked to the market, where Clarke found Bellamy's gift and paid a tall price for it. Octavia joined after a while them but spoke only Trisaldeng to Indra and they looked like a couple of old friends that had a magnanimous respect for each other.

“She was my second when she was a little girl,” Indra said to Clarke, after she had caught Clarke staring at them. As Octavia stepped away, Indra explained that Octavia had been her apprentice in practice and combat. Clarke had a hard time believing that a child that young could be of help in a battlefield, especially because Octavia was _young_. Younger than Clarke, she was sure.

“So, you are close,” Clarke concluded. Indra nodded and continued down the path. Clarke listened intently to Indra’s introspect on her community. She knew if she was to join with Commander Blake, his people would need to accept her into their midst, and the best way to get that to happen was to learn as much as she could about them. After walking through the market, Miller and Indra excused themselves to meet with the commander for their ‘weekly report,’ Miller called it.

“Will you be okay getting back on your own?” he asked, before they walked away. Clarke assured him that she’d be fine, and waved them off.

She wondered the city for an hour before she realized she was lost. At first, she just tried to find the way to a landmark, somewhere she had been before with Indra or Octavia, but she was utterly lost. Monty was not with her, as he had been meeting with some of the head farmers of Tondc and surrounding villages. Meanwhile, Clarke was here. In the middle of a mass of houses, unsure whether to keep going straight or turn around.

Clarke wondered for what must have been 30 minutes until she found herself starting to panic. Her chest felt tight, and the urge to cry was there, but she refused it. Refused to let herself be defeated by a simple town. She kept walking straight until finally she saw the clinic down the road so she drew a long breath in and this time the urge to cry was followed by relief. 

She followed the path to the clinic and then—quite suddenly, a tall frame appeared before her and she stumbled in her attempt to stop. 

“Sorr—“ she began, but when she looked up, a dark mop of curls, freckles, and brown eyes met her eyes, and that face that she had dreamt of for the last two nights was staring back at her. She studied him for a second; his brow was furrowed, lips set in a line, and his eyes inquisitive. Was he upset?

“What are you doing?” He questioned dryly.

“I was talking a walk through the town.” Clarke said confidently.

“Monty has been looking for you for the past hour.” He stated, his tone grating.

“I’ll meet him at the long house.” She said defensively, searching his face for some explanation. It had gone blank as it had been the day she first met him. Bellamy walked around and past her while Miller trailed him. She gazed at his back for a few seconds, and then continued to the long house. That had been her third interaction with him, and still, she couldn’t get anything from him. He was a closed book, that one.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clarke spent the night before her wedding tossing and turning on the soft cotton of the bed. She tried everything she could think of, but the only thing calming her, was the thought that tomorrow night, her people would be safe and cared for, all thanks to this marriage.

She slept in small increments and was finally beginning to fall into a deep sleep when the sky turned a lighter blue and Gaia knocked at her door.

“Clarke,” she called, “Are you awake?”

Clarke grunted in exhaustion and answered in a raspy voice, “I’m up.”

“Good,” Gaia said as she walked into the room. Clarke had not opened her eyes yet but she could hear the priestess walk around the room pulling things from the chest next to Clarke’s bed. “You should get up.” Gaia suggested.

With a moan and a grunt, Clarke sat up on the bed and touched her feet to the ground. She tried opening her eyes, but she was just too tired. Too tired to process it was her wedding day. Too tired to process what was really happening and what she was supposed to be getting ready for.

Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes, yawning and rubbing at them. She tied her hair up in a bun atop her head with a piece of leather before she got up and stretched. Gaia looked at her with amusement and offered her a dark and long garment made of cotton.

“This is oddly simple compared to the dresses you showed me.” Clarke said sleepily while she began to take her shirt off.

“Take everything off.” Gaia said, turning around. Clarke raised her eyebrows. 

“Everything?” For a moment, she was scared. Were the grounders expecting her to submit to some sort of bodily test? Like she had read in the archives?

“It’s just how it’s done. Don’t worry, you’ll be clothed the whole time. No one will touch you.” Gaia said, setting somethings on the desk in the room. Clarke internally sighed with relief and continued undressing. “Well, except for Bellamy, of course.”

 _That_ woke her up. She felt her heart beat frantically and her breath shortened; Clarke’s brain was now fully functional. Her hands began to shake while she finished getting undressed and she slipped on the cotton sheath on her body. It was bulky and looked almost like a sac on her. She scrunched her nose, but carried on.

Gaia made her sit on the bed, then she untied her hair and braided it tightly around her head, forming a golden crown with a few stray hairs that amazed Clarke when she looked in the mirror. 

“Leave it like this until tonight.” Gaia said, “It’ll dry like this and give it a natural wave. It’ll look pretty.” Clarke smiled at Gaia in thanks for the tip and touched the hair. After she was done admiring it, she put her boots on and followed Gaia out of the longhouse. Indra was waiting for them just outside with two horses.

“Monty?” Clarke asked as she looked around for her friend.

“Only Gaia and Bellamy will be there.” Indra explained, “It’s an intimate ceremony.”

Clarke’s stomach felt like a tighter knot than she thought was possible. She nodded at Indra in understanding and climbed on the horse with her help. They rode slowly, as this was only the second time Clarke had ridden a horse. To Clarke, it was the longest ride in the history of anything, but in reality, it was only maybe 20 minutes up one of the hills just outside of Tondc.

Clarke heard the soft sound of moving water before she saw the stream hidden in between the lush green trees. Gaia stopped and instructed her to climb off her horse, which Clarke did with some difficulty but well enough to land on her feet.

She saw him before they reached the water. His broad back was to them, his curls a mess, just like every other time she’d seen him, and he wore a dark cotton sheath that matched her’s. He turned to face them when he heard the undergrowth crunch under their feet and their eyes met for a minute. Bellamy’s eyes shifted from her eyes to her hair and examined it briefly. He then pressed his lips together and turned to face the water again. 

‘Not sure what you were expecting there, Clarke,’ She said to herself and continued to follow Gaia and Bellamy down to the water. They all took their boots off and began walking towards the edge.

Even in late spring, the water was still freezing, and Clarke recoiled once her toes touched the water. 

“That spot, right there.” Gaia pointed. Clarke examined the small pool of water with hardly any current where Gaia was pointing, and she thought about the short way there… By the time she got to the other side, she’d be shivering. Bellamy passed her and began wading to the pool of water, but then he turned to see Clarke hesitating at the edge. To her surprise, he paused for a moment and waded back a few steps to offer Clarke his hand for support.

Clarke looked at the wide, muscled hand outstretched towards her. Feeling butterflies in her stomach, she took a quick look at Bellamy and then wrapped her hand around his. They began wading through the water until it was waist deep and Clarke was sucking in sharp breaths every time the cold water inched closer to her chest.

“Stand right here, “Gaia directed Clarke and Bellamy positioned himself in front of her. He kept looking at her, something he had avoided before, and Clarke found it unnerving. His deep, dark eyes bore into hers with a seriousness that took her breath away. She could not tell if it was due to a feeling of anger within him, or something else. “You ready?” Gaia asked Clarke and broke the spell between their gazes. Clarke looked at Gaia and nodded. Whatever was about to happen, she could handle it. Then, Clarke saw Bellamy get closer. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, and he other held her hand. She looked up at him immediately and he looked down at her with that serious expression again. Clarke’s breath quickened and she only processed Gaia’s words after she was midway through the first sentence.

“…to rinse previous pledges in this life or the last. There shall be no other commitment than the one you will both vow tonight and this will be the first of your new life. Every agreement you have ever made no longer matters if it comes before the joining of blood. You may keep new promises together. You will now wash all previous love and lust away as the new shall last this life and the next.” Gaia began speaking in Trisaldeng and Clarke let if fade into the background. She was lost in Bellamy’s eyes. He had said he didn’t expect anything but an alliance of this marriage, but looking at his handsome face now, his chiseled jaw, the dimple on his chin, and the hundreds of freckles spread across his face, Clarke was not mad that she had to marry this man. As shallow as she felt, with his hand on her back and the other wrapped around hers, Clarke looked forward, if only for a minute, to get to know Bellamy Blake. 

“Do you both agree to leave all bonds of this life behind so that you may walk the clear path ahead? If you do, you may now wash away what is left of your old life and prepare for the new.”

Bellamy broke eye contact to look at Gaia for a second and then he looked back at Clarke, “Hold your breath,” he said softly, his deep voice making her shiver. “Ready?”

Clarke had no words so she nodded her head and they both went under and surfaced again. The shock of the cold water caused her to gasp air in as soon as she came back up, but she quickly recovered. 

She wiped her face with one hand and held onto Bellamy’s shoulder with the other. He held her at the elbow and did the same. His hair slipped back and Clarke looked up at him through her wet eyelashes. His lips were parted, and he looked her up and down, meeting her eyes eventually. A small silence followed, and the Gaia said, “You are now able to make the sacred vows tonight and join blood.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you so much for reading! See you next time (:


	4. Of Blood Ties and Weddings

It was hard to look at anything else after their eyes had met. Clarke’s breath had been taken away by the way Bellamy’s had borne into hers in the water, droplets on his eyelashes and hair. It’s like he had taken the words Gaia had said in a very personal, intimate way, and she didn’t blame him. After all, they were sacred words in their culture, and Clarke found that the ritual had affected her too. She was to enter this union willingly while leaving all baggage behind. It was good, actually, to leave what happened back at the dropship with Finn behind and move on to new things. She was already moving on, but that morning, feeling breathless in Bellamy’s arms, had solidified that for her. She no longer cared about any other romantic notions dealing with anyone else. Bellamy may have stated that this was only a political alliance, but in her heart, Clarke knew that he expected loyalty, and so did she. Besides, they were expected to bear children and raise them together at some point in the next two years. If they were to do that, loyalty was the least they could expect from each other.

Clarke sat, sun bathing, in the garden of the longhouse waiting for her hair to dry in the early morning sun. Luckily, her hair was not to thick and dried quickly, unlike Raven’s, whose hair was still damp at night after she had bathed first thing in the morning. She always complained about it and suddenly Clarke felt sad that Raven would not be with her tonight. She was getting married, and though she was happy Monty was there, she was also forlorn that Wells and Raven wouldn’t be. She took a moment to think of her mother and her father. She wouldn’t know if they would be proud or angry with the decisions she had made on the ground. There’s no way of knowing now. After Raven had fixed the radio comms, they’d gone out again for good. The only way to tell that the ark was still up there was the midnight passing of a blinking light of a ship in the atmosphere.

“Clarke,” she heard Monty call. 

“Hey,” she said, turning towards his voice. Monty looked so healthy. He had gained some weight, now that they were eating proper rations instead of berries and small catch. He wore his usual blue t-shirt and pants, but he looked different now. This alliance had given him a bigger purpose, one that helped thousands of people and not just theirs. 

“Hi,” Monty said with an easy smile and walked towards the bench Clarke was resting on. “How did it go?” he asked as he sat next to her, “Are you nervous?”

Clarke smiled back and nodded in earnest. She wasn’t allowing herself to overthink, but she only had a few more hours of freedom before she had to get ready for tonight.

“It’s strange,” she said softly, “I’m nervous, but I’m not scared.”

“That’s good to hear.” He paused, “You know, you are being incredibly selfless Clarke. People back at the dropship are thankful. I am thankful. This is a great thing you’ve accomplished.” Monty reassured her, and she grinned in thanks.

“Thank you. I hope people know that this isn’t just my doing. You have all worked very hard to make all of this work.” Clarke said, looking in to her friend’s eyes.

“I think people get that. We’re not the ones getting married to a stranger though.” He said with a small chuckle. Clarke laughed too.

“I don’t think this marriage will be miserable.” She hoped out loud. “Bellamy seems like a reasonable person.”

Monty nodded in understanding. He agreed. “I’ve met with him a lot since we got here. He always listens and weighs his options before making decisions. He cares for his people and I believe he wants this to work.”

Clarke sighed and closed her eyes to face the sun again. She had to get out of it soon, otherwise she’d be beet red for her wedding. 

“Any word from the others back at the dropship?” she asked, before she became anxious.

“Nothing other than things are working well. Lincoln seems to be a good help.” Monty said. 

“Glad to hear it.” She said. They talked about a few more minor things before Monty left her with a pat on the shoulder and a ‘see you later.’ Clarke began to truly feel nervous then. She went inside to wait for the flurry of people that would get her ready for tonight.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It dried perfectly,” Gaia said, as she unfurled the last braid from Clarke’s head. Her hair fell beautifully over her shoulders. “I can re-braid the front, if you’d like?”

It didn’t matter to Clarke what she did; to be honest, it didn’t matter what anyone did. All she cared about was being able to breathe and sit upright because right now, it felt like she couldn’t do either.

“Clarke?” Gaia called. 

“Yes, that’s fine.” She said, trying not to sound as shaky as she felt. Gaia continued with her grooming, weaving flowers into her Clarke’s golden hair. The seamstresses that worked on her dress had come in earlier and dropped off the delicate gown. It laid on her bed untouched. Clarke looked at it and wondered how something so intricate and beautiful could be created in such a short amount of time. The women that worked on it must have spent ages outside of their normal hours to create and perfect it. Especially with just one fitting.

“Done.” Gaia said. “I’ll be right back.”

She exited the room, leaving Clarke alone for a few minutes. She took advantage of the time to run her fingers over the dress and admire each detail. Each stitch. Each flower etched onto the waistline of it. It seemed like a waste until one of the seamstresses had explain that the original fabric from the dress had been taken from Aurora’s own wedding dress. Bellamy’s mother.

“He brought it to us when you arrived.” She had said. Oddly, the small gesture made her heart flutter. She wondered if Octavia had been okay with it, but decided not to ask. She must be, if Bellamy had brought the dress to the seamstresses himself.

Startling Clarke out of her thoughts, five women entered her small room, some of the seamstresses, Gaia, and another that Clarke did not recognize. What happened next was barely comprehensible to Clarke. They stripped her, rubbed oils into her skin and dressed her carefully. The seamstresses worked at the waistline and back of her gown while the other woman carefully painted her face. It felt strange to Clarke, the make up on her face. Such things were not allowed, or rather, were unavailable in the ark. Here, judging by the heavy kohl that always surrounded Octavia’s eyes, make up must be encouraged.

After placing some sort of sweet balm on her lips, the seamstresses fluffed the dress around her, and Clarke was asked to look in a long mirror in front of her.

She was, in her mind, unrecognizable. Never had she felt more shocked at her appearance. Her makeup was nothing she would have ever picked for herself. A subtle red lip, but there all the same with rosy cheeks and kohl that highlighted her bright blue eyes. The dress hugged her body lightly, but not excessively, and the v-cut on the front went just below her breastplate. She felt exposed, but at the same time, incredibly beautiful.

“What do you think?” Gaia asked. Clarke was lost for words so she just smiled lightly and nodded nervously at her. Gaia explained that they would now walk to the venue and arranged Clarke in between the four other women. They began leading her out of the longhouse under a light sheet of fabric as if her appearance should be hidden from the rest of the world. She gathered her skirts and walked behind two of the women with another two behind. Gaia walked in front of all of them. They sauntered through the town but Clarke could not see where. The noise of the people subsided after a while and they began to walk on grass instead of gravel. After a few minutes, the came to a slow stop and Clarke could see the flicker of the fire reflecting on the floor. The sheet was pulled back and Clarke looked forward. 

Bellamy was dressed in dark leather with matching dark furs on his shoulders. Although the outfit wasn’t much different than what he usually wore, the way it fit him made Clarke’s stomach do flips. His broad shoulders and muscular body were apparent, and his hair was wilder than ever, with those dark curls spread everywhere framing his handsome face. Her lips parted when their eyes met and though Bellamy wasn’t letting much emotion through, Clarke could see the way her looked her, the way his eyes lingered on her figure, and then on her hair. He swallowed and clenched his jaw. He walked towards Gaia exchanged a few words with her and then stretched his hand out to Clarke. 

That second seemed to last forever until she took his hand. The women around her dispersed and she saw others for the first time. The commander’s council, Indra, Miller, Octavia. Monty was there too. Some others. It didn’t matter. All Clarke could think about was Bellamy’s warm hand holding hers, and the way he pulled her up to him. Words were said, but Clarke didn’t understand them. Gaia had explained what she’d say in Trisaldeng to Clarke before all of this, and Clarke agreed to all of it. She knew what she’d have to say when asked that one question, and then they’d join blood and be bound for the rest of their lives.

It all happened quickly. Clarke almost missed the question as she looked at Bellamy. His eyes wondered over her as well. He answered first, and that prompted her to answer Gaia as well.

Bellamy took a knife out of his side and that startled Clarke out of her stupor. He cut a small bit into his palm and then held out his hand for hers. Clarke hesitated for a split second.

“It’s clean,” Bellamy whispered humorlessly, as if that’s what was holding Clarke back from letting him cut her. She stretched her hand to him and he took it delicately in his. Blood dripped from his cut onto his wrist. He cut her hand very lightly with a small gasp from Clarke and then pressed their palms together. He placed the knife back in its holder at his hip and held their hands together.

“It’s done.” Gaia said proudly and with a smile. Everyone around them began shouting praises. They closed in on them began clapping their shoulders and congratulating them. Monty hugged Clarke and gave her a reassuring smile. “You good?” He mouthed. Clarke took a deep breath and nodded with a shaky smile. She had to be good. She had to be. There was no going back now.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clarke and Bellamy were ushered into a room next to the hall where their feast was being prepared. Clarke stood awkwardly and waited for him to say something. He poured them both some wine and handed her a cup.

There was a table and some chairs in the room. On the beautifully crafted table there was two presents, wrapped in cloth, and ready to be exchanged. Bellamy walked silently to one of them and fingered the wrapping deep in thought. He had not said a word since the ceremony. He wasn’t brooding, necessarily, he was just quiet and lost in thought. Clarke took a swig of the sweet wine and vowed to not drink too much this night, no matter how bad her nerves were.

He set the cup down and picked up the present, turning towards Clarke. She stepped towards him and he smoothly handed it over. Clarke set her cup down too and accepted it.

“For you,” he said in that deep voice that made Clarke tremble. “I hope you can use it.”

Clarke offered him a small smile and began unwrapping the material around the gift. Inside, there was thick papers made for drawing stitched onto a thick leather pad. There was a brown leather pouch, with a C etched on it, that held charcoal. Clarke ran her fingers over the sketching pad and smiled wider.

“This is perfect,” she said, “Thank you.”

“I had pastels made for you as well. They should be delivered this week.” He said, running a hand through his hair and then reaching for a swig of his cup.

Clarke set her present down and then handed him his.

“I did the best I could under the timing,” she said, and it sounded like an excuse. “I hope you like it.”

Bellamy nodded in thanks and began unwrapping the gray cloth to reveal a thick book in leather. _The Illiad_ , it read. It was so hard to find, and _expensive_ too. She traded a lot of things that she brought with her to obtain it. She really did hope he liked it. 

“I saw that you had The Odyssey in your collection. I was hoping you’d want to add this to it.”

Bellamy’s lips were parted and he flipped the pages like they would break if he stared at them too hard. “This is…”

If only he could see the look on his face right now. It made Clarke smile. 

“I’m glad you like it.” She said softly. He met her eyes for a minute and gave her a minute grin that was almost too small to identify. She sucked in some air and turned to her cup. Her cheeks felt hot. This room was hot.

When she glanced sideways at him, she caught him admiring her figure in the off-white dress and she couldn’t help but chuckle at his lack of discreetness. She felt incredibly beautiful tonight, and apparently, he appreciated the way she looked too. 

A knock at the door interrupted her wandering thoughts. “Come in,” she called. Octavia walked in, looking fierce as ever. 

“Big brother,” she said, a teasing smirk breaking into her face. He looked at her with a fed-up look and walked towards her. They exchanged a few words in Trisaldeng. Clarke didn’t understand, obviously, but by the tone of Octavia’s voice, Clarke could tell she was teasing Bellamy. He rolled his eyes at her when she made a final comment and then she laughed, the sound was strange to Clarke. The first sign of vulnerability and openness from these two grounders. Octavia then walked to Clarke and offered her hand to her. Clarke shook her hand and looked Octavia straight in the eyes. She was assessing her and warning her all at the same time. Of what, Clarke didn’t know, but she assumed the little sister was protective of the older brother, just like he was of her.

“We are sisters now,” Octavia said. That took Clarke off-guard, but she nodded regardless. “I expect more from blood than I do others.” She explained. Clarke grinned. ‘Ah,’ she thought, ‘That’s what this is about.’

“I hope not to disappoint you, sister.” Clarke said firmly. Octavia grinned back in approval and she swore she saw Bellamy grin at them both.

“Let’s feast.” She declared, and Bellamy and Clarke followed her into the hall.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The wine flowed freely and the food was too good for Clarke to contain herself. This was _truly_ a feast. She had promised herself that she would not get drunk, but she was already buzzed, and she was sure this last cup of wine was going to send her to the land of no return. Bellamy seemed amused at her easy-coming smirks and her appreciative glances at the party in front of them. She sat no more than a foot from him at an impossibly long table. Octavia sat by his side and Monty sat next to hers. They commented on odd traditions and outfits of the grounders. Monty seemed incredibly shocked by how amazing their wine was, and Clarke agreed by taking another long sip.

Grounders came and went, congratulating them and Clarke sobered a little, remembering that this was still a political union, and she had to act graciously. Two dignitaries from neighboring clans greeted and congratulated them, extending invitations for Clarke and her new husband to come visit soon. Alliances waiting to happen.

“Our people are one now,” Bellamy explained briefly, “Others expect that they commit to our relations with other clans as well.”

“Of course,” Clarke nodded in understanding. It was only expected. 

The night went by fairly fast and soon Clarke was feeling drowsy from the wine. Bellamy excused them from the feast in the early hours of the morning and they were celebrated on their way out to his horse. He had an easygoing hand on the small of her back the whole way out. Clarke was all too aware of it and how the heat of it spread through her body. Once they reached his horse, Bellamy wrapped a tan cloak around her and helped her up. He then climbed up himself. He pressed his body against hers and pulled her in with an arm around her middle. She drew in a breath at the contact and settled between his legs. He took the reins with his free hand and their horse began walking towards the outside of Tondc. Clarke looked back to see Monty waving at her with a concerned face hidden behind a smile. She waved back with a reassuring smile and then looked at the two horses behind them mounted by Miller and Indra. Bellamy’s personal guard.

Clarke held on the front of the seat and focused her eyes on the trail lit by moonlight before them. She felt Bellamy pressed behind her. His scent filled her and caused her chest to tighten. They rode for an hour in silence. She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she even began to doze off with her head on Bellamy’s shoulder. He woke her with his deep voice.

“We’re here.” He announced. Clarke sat up, embarrassed by the way she had closed in their personal space and looked ahead of her once again. A beautiful cottage, like the ones that were in the movie archives, was barely visible in the white glint from the moon.

Bellamy climbed down and walked the horse to the stable next to the cottage. He tied the rope in and helped Clarke down. Miller and Indra followed them into the stables, but stayed behind once Bellamy began walking to the entrance of the house. Clarke followed him, suddenly awake with her heart beating hard and fast.

Bellamy opened the wood and iron door and walked in, Clarke trailing behind him. He shut the door after her.

He began to shed his furs and leathers, sighing with relief and tossing them on the furniture in the living space. Though it had been a temperate day, she was sure Bellamy was sweating under the heavy clothing since the late evening. Clarke looked around the small, endearing cottage and she admired the paintings hanging on the walls. 

“They’re from before.” Bellamy said and Clarke turned to him.

“From… before?” She said, confused. He was wearing a simple t-shirt now. His shoulders looked impossibly broad and his frame sturdy and muscular. Clarke felt the urge to run her hands along his neck and down his arms. She was sure a lot of that urge had to do with how much wine she had at the party.

“Before the bombs.” He said meeting her eyes and then looking back at the painting behind her. “Our people took inventory of the things here a while back. The cottage has been passed down. It belongs to whoever commands Trikru for as long as they live.”

It was hard for her to keep her eyes from wondering, but she listened all the same. He paused and walked closer to her, intimately close, and she drew in a breath, mentally preparing for what she knew was coming. He met her eyes for a second and then said, “We don’t have to, you know.”

“What?” She searched his eyes. Now that he was close, she could see the hunger in them, the way he looked at her was hopelessly heated. She was sure the way she was looking at him now was the same. They’d both had quite a bit to drink, especially her. Inhibitions were down, and the tension was real. Tangible almost.

“We don’t have to consummate the marriage. Not tonight.”  
Clarke blinked at him. Her eyebrows furrowed together slightly.

“Gaia said—“ 

“I know what she said. I know how this works.” He said, his eyes impossibly dark. Clarke was avoiding looking at his lips with her whole being. If she looked he’d know. He’d know how much she wouldn’t mind him putting his hands on her. He’d know how much she had been craving to be touched. “I also know that we barely know each other. That we’re strangers.”

A moment passed. That grounded Clarke very quickly. She broke eye contact and stepped back and around Bellamy.

“Of course. You’re right.” She said with finality. She unhooked her cloak and dropped it on a chair. “You won’t mind if I take the bed, then?”

She turned to look him in the eye. His eyelids fluttered a bit in surprise. “It’s all yours.” 

With a nod, she walked away, into the room and closed the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I did say this was a slow burn... no?
> 
> (;


	5. Honeymoons and Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the love in the comments and Kudos. I'm glad you're enjoying treading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. I know my uploading schedule is a bit spaced out and I'm so sorry! I wish I had more time to write, but I guess that's just life, right?
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy some honeymoon Bellarke!

Clarke woke up to the feeling of light filtering through her eyelids. She groaned at the sun shining through the curtains that hung on the far wall, only halfway covering a large window in the bedroom. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand and yawned in a defeated manner. She laid in bed for a few minutes remembering where she was and why she was there, which did not take very long to figure out. She buried her face in her pillow when she remembered the night before, and her face burned when she recalled Bellamy’s dilated pupils before she walked away from him. She sighed into the blankets and pulled the covers over her head. The furs on the bed were some of the softest and warmest she had ever slept on; she did not mind rolling around in them for a few more minutes. Eventually though, she had to go to the bathroom, so she stretched and with another groan, and sat up on the bed.

Clarke looked up to where her wedding dress hung on the wall. The damn thing was beautiful. She had been too, when she wore it. Clarke smiled softly. She stood up and walked to the chest of drawers in the room and ran her hand over it. Amazing how such a thing could last hundreds of years. She had looked through the drawers in the dresser before she had gone to sleep last night and found it full. One drawer was filled with Bellamy’s things, all dark clothing, mostly linen and cotton. The other was filled with women’s undergarments, dresses, pants, and shirts. She was pretty sure they were all hers. There was also perfumes and creams, and many other things she had never had the luxury of owning on the top of the dresser. They all smelled like nothing she had ever fathomed. After examining the delicate things in the small glass containers, Clarke decided and a loose dress rolled in her drawer, and headed to the bathroom.

After freshening up for the day, Clarke eyed the bathtub and decided that she would take a bath that night after dinner. She had no idea what the day held. Of course, if her and Bellamy, _her husband_ , she corrected herself, were enamored newlyweds, they would be in bed all day (the mere though sent a jolt of electricity to her core) but since this house was just filled with two strangers, she might just sunbathe and read a book for the better part of the morning. It would at least give her something to do.

She walked out of the bedroom to find Bellamy perched on a windowsill where the sunlight bathed his face, the damned cute freckles, and the wild, dark curls. His head was tilted back against the thick of the wall and his eyes were closed. She could tell he was awake though, by the way he was breathing. He had one leg up on the windowsill, an arm on his knee, and a book against his chest held by a heavy hand. Clarke felt time stand still, if only for a moment, while she memorized and drew the picture in her head. She’d have to sketch it out later, once she was alone and the peril of being caught was nonexistent. 

Clarke cleared her throat after a moment looking intensely at his handsome face and admiring the rich and beautiful color of his skin. Bellamy stirred from his relaxed pose in the sunlight and turned his head towards Clarke.

“Good morning,” she said gently. He looked at her and nodded.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked as he stood from the window and closed his book. It was the same one Clarke had gifted him the night before. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Uh, yeah. The furs are pretty comfortable.” She said, turning towards the kitchenette of the cozy cottage. “You?”

“Well enough.” He replied and followed Clarke towards the table. “I made coffee and toast.”

“Oh,” Clarke said, spotting the kettle on a piece of cloth sitting on the table. “I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee before.” She looked back at Bellamy whose usually somber and serious face showed something more like curiosity. His eyebrows furrowed just enough to be visible and he looked at Clarke with a strange emotion in his eyes.

“We didn’t grow much of it up on the ark.” She explained. “It was nonessential and expensive. You had to trade huge amounts of rations for one single serving.” She of course didn’t mention how her father would occasionally get a cup with rations Abby had saved up for months. The smile on his face was priceless when her mom told him that she had saved up enough for him to have something other than tea or water.

“Well, it’s bitter.” He said, “It’s not very common here either, but my—” he hesitated, “ _our_ people trade with some of the southern tribes. It travels far, from what I hear.”

Clarke did not fail to notice the way he had self-corrected. “I can give it a try. I’d like something other than tea.”

She poured herself a cup of the black liquid and blew on its surface for a minute or two. Even though Bellamy acted disinterested in her first experience with coffee, the way he seemed to look back at her, as if he was waiting for that first sip, suggested that he was intrigued by how she would react.

Clarke took one last look at the dark liquid. The damn thing smelled so good. Not quite like the ark coffee. Her dad always complained that it was too diluted, but that didn’t stop him from drinking it. Clarke took a chance and lifted the sup for a small swig.

The way Bellamy pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing when Clarke spit out the liquid onto the sink immediately after it had entered her mouth made the whole damn ordeal worth it.

How could something that smelled so good, taste _so _bad?__

__“I can’t drink that,” she said, wiping her mouth and reaching for water. He turned his back to her as he tried to contain his laughter and she rolled her eyes. “Thanks anyway.”_ _

__A pause followed and awkwardness settled in. It was nice to have a minute of light, small talk, but the uncomfortable silence after it reminded Clarke that Bellamy was, as he had stated last night, a stranger._ _

__She broke the silence by asking, “What’s there to do around here?” and took a bite of some whole wheat toast on the counter._ _

__Bellamy looked back over his shoulder at her and thought for a second._ _

__“There’s a lake a mile down the hill.” He said and offered no further explanation. Clarke pressed her lips together in a polite smile and nodded at him. She continued to eat in silence, tearing small pieces of the brown, seeded bread, and placing them in her mouth while she looked around, just standing at the counter._ _

__“Should we…” she began, nervously._ _

__“You can ride down there on your horse.” He said simply, turning towards her. Clarke felt a pang in her chest. She looked down and her hands and nodded._ _

__“Sure.” She said, placing the last piece of the toast into her mouth. She looked up at Bellamy only to find that he was staring at her cheek. She searched his eyes for an answer but he wasn’t looking back at her. All of a sudden, he stepped closer to her and in a smooth movement, his hand lifted to her face. He swiped his thumb over the freckle on her upper lip and her lips parted in shock. Clarke flinched back involuntarily and Bellamy withdrew his hand immediately._ _

__“Sorry,” he said, flustered, “You had—uh—a crumb.”_ _

__“Oh,” she replied, her hand flying up to her face, swiping at her cheek and upper lip._ _

__“I—I got it.” He said, stepping back, his face closed off again._ _

__“Thanks.” Clarke said curtly, while her heart hammered against her chest. “I’m—I’m gonna go get my boots on. I’ll go down to the lake.”_ _

__He nodded, turning and walking away from her as she did the same._ _

____

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why was earth so beautiful? Clarke wondered, as she covered her eyes from the sun and stood at the shore of the lake, admiring the glittering navy waters. This sight took her breath away. Imagining earth from space, watching the tall trees in movies from the archives, reading about it on her tablet late at night when she was supposed to be asleep, none of it, _none_ of it compared to this. None of it compared to the fresh, crisp air that cycled into her lungs while the breeze fluttered her wavy, blonde hair behind her, and the sun heated her skin. It made her cry, how beautiful it was.

It’s not like she had planned to cry. There was so much guilt from being here while her mother was up in space, IF she was still up there, and it was something she did not expect to be burdened with. Clarke squatted in the rocky sand and covered her face with her hands while the sobs racked her body.

“Mom, dad…” she whispered. “I wish you were here.”

Her heart ached with the guilt of surviving. Of thriving while her people were up in the ark dying from carbon monoxide poisoning.

If they were even alive.

After what seemed like an eternity, Clarke was finally able to regulate her breathing and look up from her stupor. She inhaled a deep breath of clean air and sighed out. She stood from the sand and dusted herself off slowly. She looked around for a grassy area and found a perfect one with a sturdy tree where she could lean and rest and also be covered from the intense sun.

As she began walking to the tree, pulling her horse along, a large shape came out of the shadows and startled her. It was only Bellamy though, riding his black horse on to the shore. He stopped a few feet from her and in a fluid motion dismounted his horse. Clarke felt jealous for a second, at how easy it was for him while she still struggled to get up on hers. She tried not to pout, but she felt her lips pursing forwards slightly at how smug and put together her damned husband looked.

“You came.” She said, a little annoyance seeping through her voice. He gave her an infuriating sideway smirk and began walking towards her with his horse.

“I had nothing else to do.” He said in a nonchalant tone. Her chest tightened and her face felt hot.

“No books?” She said, clenching her fist around the reins of her horse. He shook his head slightly. 

“This is way better anyway.” He said, looking around at the luscious green trees and hills. She had to agree with that. She took another look around, inhaling deeply. She made a conscious choice to relax and enjoy the view around her.

“How old are you?” He asked without looking at her. She looked back at him.

“Turned eighteen two months ago.” He didn’t look at her. “You?”

“Twenty-one.” He replied. How the hell did a twenty-one year old come to be commander of a damn army and entire tribe?  
“Is your sister my age?” Clarke asked. He looked at her then with furrowed brows. 

“Seventeen.”

Clarke didn’t mean to be rude or insult Bellamy, but her eyes widened and she blurted, “What?”

He looked confused by her reaction and remained quiet. “I mean, she’s not an adult yet?”

Bellamy chuckled and gave a skeptical look to Clarke. “She leads a good portion of my army, Clarke, what do you mean she’s not an adult?”

As soon as she heard her name come out of his lips, her heart skipped a beat. “I mean, we consider the legal age for adulthood to be 18.”

A moment passed. “Up in the ark, I mean.”

Bellamy examined her for a minute and then looked at the water. “I guess our people are different than yours then. We discern adulthood by the maturity of an individual, not by their age.”

Clarke mulled over the thought for a minute.

“You told my sister the ark sent you all down to make sure the ground was safe. How could they send you down if they did not trust you to be mature about it?”

Suddenly annoyed, Clarke looked down at her feet. “We were expendable.” It was only explanation that made sense. Bellamy raised an eyebrow at her. “I explained to Octavia that many of my people had done some awful things up in the ark. But many of us were guilty just by being born under the wrong system of government.” She sighed, “We weren’t allowed to make mistakes.”

Silence.

“How can one be allowed to mature if not by learning of one’s own mistakes?” Bellamy asked, infinitely disturbed by the thought. The sentiment echoed with Clarke so profoundly, that a wide smile formed on her lips when Bellamy looked back at her. 

It was only for one moment. A second or two. Too long though. Clarke noticed the way he admired her face for a brief moment and then averted his eyes. Her smile turned into a smirk and she looked the other way.

“Want to take a walk?” She asked, and he nodded after pointing her in the right direction.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You can take the bed again,” Bellamy said. Clarke eyed him as she placed the blankets she’d taken on her walk back in the armoire. She had planned to sit down and sketch or read by the water, but when Bellamy appeared, he plans dissolved. They had a quiet, but not so awkward, lunch at the shore of the lake after an hour of walking, some dried meat and cheese, and then walked some more until they reached some ruins further into the trees. Clarke was so astounded by the broken down, wooden shack, that she’d spent a good hour examining it. They had headed back afterwards, so it was still early in the afternoon. Clarke wasn’t sure if that meant that Bellamy was dismissing her or he was just letting her know so they could avoid another encounter later like the one from the night before.

“Is the couch uncomfortable?” She said trying her hardest to sound careless. Bellamy shook his head. Clarke nodded. She knew she would be hungry soon, so if she went into the room and came back out only an hour later, it would be clear she was avoiding him, so she decided against it and pulled out the sketch pad and charcoal he had given her and sat on the same windowsill he had been perched on that morning.

Clarke thought back to the lake and let her hands and fingers take over and she produced lines and squiggles. It didn’t look like anything at first, but after a while, the hills and the water were the focus of the sketch and details were becoming clearer. Clarke was so engrossed in the picture, in the moving of her fingers and the scratch of the charcoal against the thick, textured paper, that she didn’t notice Bellamy was cooking. It wasn’t until she heard him hiss a curse that she looked up to see him cutting vegetables.

Her eyebrows raised because he had his finger in his mouth. “What happened?”

He made brief eye contact and pulled his finger out of his mouth to examine it. Blood immediately began running down his hand and Clarke was on her feet in an instant. She grabbed one of the kitchen cloths and grabbed Bellamy’s hand without thinking.

The cut was pretty deep, either he must’ve not been paying attention, or the knife was extremely sharp. Probably a combination of both. She wrapped his finger in the cloth and held it tight. He gasped, but she paid him no mind. She looked around the kitchen.

“Do we have a first aid kit?”

“Uh…”

“A sowing kit?” She clarified. He looked at her with something akin to surprise in his eyes and nodded. 

“In the bathroom.”

“Alcohol?” She asked, putting strong pressure on the finger with her fist. Bellamy looked so confused, she wished she could take a moment to admire his face.

“Uh, some old whiskey in the cupboard.” She nodded and pulled him along by his arm. She opened a couple of cabinets before she found the old Whiskey, placed it bellow her arm, and pulled Bellamy along again into the bathroom. After a few minutes of more applied pressure she looked at his eyes and gave him a look that said, “I’m doing this.” He nodded and she removed the kitchen towel carefully. Her face said it all.

“Ouch,” she said “That’s really go. She dipped the towel into a bucket of clean water from the morning and cleaned off the excess blood. She then poured some whiskey atop it and Bellamy barely grimaced. He then pointed to the cabinet on the wall and Clarke searched in it for a medical kit. To her surprise, she found a very well stocked sewing kit complete with bandages and ointments in little jars. She began threading the curved needle and he stared at her a little terrified, but in awe.

“This’ll hurt a bit.” He nodded and Clarke began sewing his finger together while he grunted very softly.

“What were you trying to cook?” She asked to distract him from the two to three stitches he needed. 

“Uh..” He thought, “Soup.”

“Didn’t know you could cook.” She said.

“I can’t.” He said in all seriousness and Clarke paused to look up at him. He met her blue eyes and a moment passed between them. 

Clarke laughed first. The sound of it seemed to surprise Bellamy but he chuckled after a while.

His short laugh made Clarke heart pound. The bastard was so damned handsome. His voice made her shiver, and she could help but stare at him. His jaw, up close, was so square and perfect. She was dying to run her fingers over his lips and jaw and feel the softness of his hair. She refused to look at his lips though. It was the same as last night. If she looked at them, it was game over. She, instead, decided to focus back on his finger and finish sewing. She cut the thread after three stitches and placed a light bandage over it.

“That should do it.” She whispered to herself.

“Thank you.” He said, withdrawing his hand. She looked up at him and smiled kindly. Clarke stood up and began cleaning up the mess until her stomach growled loudly. She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes in embarrassment. Bellamy chuckled once and said, “I guess I should go finish what I was doing.”  
“I’m not sure you should,” She said, turning her head towards him.

“Are you going to do it?” He asked. Clarke looked down at the counter.

“I don’t know how to cook either.” She trailed off. 

“We’re in for a long weekend, then.” He said, with a smirk on his face.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A little domestic Bellarke never hurt anybody. They’re just getting to know each other, after all.

Thank you so much for reading!!


	6. Come Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay friends. Here's the deal, I know it's been forever, and I am SO SORRY about it. I've written this chapter, erased it, rewritten it, and rewritten it AGAIN and I'm STILL not happy with it. But I've come to the conclusion that if I continue to waltz the dance of inadequacy with this one, I'm never going to get to finish this story, so for the love of God, please be gentle with it. Like I said, I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but... what the heck, lets get it out of the way.
> 
> Thank you for hanging in there and posting comments even when I wasn't updating. You are all lovely and incredibly encouraging.
> 
> Enjoy!

Bellamy felt himself start to drift off on a chair in the living room after what they had decided to call “diner”-- although it was more like a snack, and he was still hungry. He sat there thinking for a long time, Clarke’s face filling his mind.

The way she looked at him sometimes. He _had_ to be imagining it. It was a challenge to keep his face straight, to just keep his cool. He had a hard time from the moment he saw her clumsily climbing off the horse in Tondc. She was gorgeous-- the damn sky princess-- and the way she held herself together was the sexiest damn thing on earth. Shoulders back, chin up, piercing, blue eyes forward. He could get lost in her eyes. He wasn’t expecting it, the way she made him feel. Bellamy was incredibly attracted to her. 

What made him really lose it, though, was how damn _smart_ Clarke was. At every meeting in Tondc she had something clever and ingenious to say. He did his best to keep his face from showing how impressed he was, because the last thing they needed was some cocky alien from the sky, but he could tell that Clarke wanted the best for her people and she knew that to do that, they would have to benefit Trikru too. There was no way around it and she didn’t _want_ to find a way around it. She _wanted_ to help them. Monty did too. If he was honest, Bellamy could only assume that the rest of Skaikru back at the dropship camp had similar intentions to those of Monty and Clarke's. Yes, it was hard trusting a stranger and her group with some of his people’s fate, but he had agreed to take a chance on the sky people, and well, here they were. 

Clarke was his wife. _His wife._

The strangeness of that statement baffled him to no end. How was it that he had been so damn lucky to have an arranged marriage with the most intelligent and beautiful woman he had ever met? It was hard to fathom, really, that the universe had dealt him these cards. If it was all this good, something had to give at some point, right? He hoped whatever went wrong in the future didn't have anything to do with their fragile relationship. Which propelled him to the next thought. Gaia was clear: consummate the marriage while at the cottage. It cannot wait. Their people are expecting them to make the marriage official, and failure to comply meant the marriage is a failure. But when Clarke had sauntered over the night they arrived, she was flushed and drunk, and Bellamy was not. He had been as sober as a priest, and even the heat in her eyes wouldn’t allow him to push that boundary.

Tonight, however, Clarke had a clear mind, and not only had she been kind to him on their first day of their blood union, Bellamy also swore he had seen legitimate fear in her gorgeous sapphire eyes when she came to his rescue after he clumsily cut his finger (Bellamy promised himself that he’d learn how to make a decent meal the next time they came to visit the cottage). Now, she was in the bedroom, and he was sitting on the chair, overthinking, like he always did. 

He ran his hands through his tangled curls and sighed. He had promised himself he wouldn’t push Clarke. She had never planned for this union, he knew that, and yet, the circumstances required it. It was the only peaceful solution he had found when the sky people landed and the scouts reported back on those first few days.

“They’re mostly kids.” Indra’s spies informed him, and he begged the commander side of him to calm himself and think rationally. How many people would die if he attacked the invaders? No. He wouldn’t slaughter children. Especially unarmed children. So, he sent Indra and Octavia to speak to Clarke, to send a message: ‘We are willing to meet and discuss each other’s point of view as well as get some answers.’ By the time Octavia and Indra set out, Clarke and another were half-way to Tondc as well. From that point, Bellamy understood that Clarke and her people did not mean to land where they did. They also did not come with the intention to start a war and steal territory. They didn’t even know there was other people on the ground. It was clear to his council (and himself, if he was honest) that the only option was an arranged marriage. If Skaikru wanted to remain in Trikru land, It was the only possibility to legitimize a claim of territory that large. Without knowing the sky princess, or even caring what she looked like, Bellamy had given the orders to Octavia: offer them a fair trade, labor from us with labor from them to establish the land, all sealed by a blood bond.

And now, here they were, married and sealed in a bond that would last a lifetime. Breaking the bond would mean war, and neither of them wanted the bloodshed. Marrying a stranger was a sacrifice they were both willing to make for their people. So, that brought Bellamy back to the same thought. He had promised Clarke to be courteous and respect their alliance; he had promised himself that he wouldn’t push the blonde with the mole above her lip. Not if she didn’t want to. But Gaia’s voice repeated in his head that this was duty; that the consummation of the marriage was vital for the survival of the alliance. All the while he thought of the way Clarke had looked at him last night: Hungry. Thirsty. For him. And he was thirsty for her.

With definite resolution, Bellamy decided that at the very least, he would sleep in the same bed as her. He might as well get used to that, since they would only have one bed and one room back in Tondc, and all hell might break lose if one of his people found him sleeping on one of the chairs in his living quarters instead of his bed with his wife.

Bellamy sighed one last time, and stood from the chair.

He knocked on the door first, but Clarke did not respond. After a while he tried again but again, there was no response. He was then struck by the thought that if Clarke was already asleep, he could not, he would not, sleep in the same bed as her. After all, how creepy would it be waking up to someone you didn’t know was there the night before?

Bellamy slowly opened the door, careful not to make noise. To his surprise, Clarke was not on the bed. With a confused frown, Bellamy looked to the left, only to find her climbing out of the tub, completely naked, although holding a towel, and soaked. Rivulets if water running down her neck and shoulders and dripping onto the floor from her blonde locks. 

He froze for a second, his brain short circuiting, and before he could turn back around and pretend he had not seen a thing, Clarke’s eyes drifted up and locked with his.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, and attempted to cover herself with the towel. Bellamy immediately turned around and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” He said, his voice strained.

“Uhm,” she laughed nervously, “That’s-- that’s okay.”

A moment passed, and he heard rustling coming from behind him. “You can turn around now.”

He sucked a breath in through his mouth and turned slowly, looking up at her. Her face was flushed, a beautiful shade of pink colored her cheeks, and her lips were slightly parted. Bellamy told himself not to look down, but her shoulders were covered with her soaked hair, strands stuck to the soft, sun-kissed, but still creamy skin. 

“I-I knocked,” was all that came out of his mouth and gestured to the door. He kicked himself for it mentally. Here he was, a commander of one of the most powerful clans on earth, and he couldn’t even say something remotely confident to his wife. There was a small pause and Clarke’s lips shifted upwards and she chuckled once. She met his eyes and her smile turned into a smirk.

“Did you?” She asked, obviously teasing him. Bellamy scoffed, a slight tilt to his lips and he rolled his eyes. She smirked at him one last time and turned towards the drawers in the room. “Did you come in for your nightclothes?”

“Uh…” His hand found its way to his hair, “not exactly.”

“Oh?” She said, walking forward into the room.

“Clarke, we…” he trailed off, not knowing how to put it.

“Let’s share the bed tonight, okay?” She said without a care while she unfolded the nightshift on the dresser and Bellamy’s heart sped up to a gallop. He felt like a giddy little boy. He wouldn’t let it show though.

“Uh, yeah. I mean, we might as well get used to it.” He replied seriously and she nodded.

“Would you mind turning around again? I need to change into my nightclothes.”

Bellamy nodded and turned. He noticed the dress she had worn at their marriage ceremony was hanging behind the door. He took a minute to remember the way she looked in it, and heat coiled in his insides.

She was done before long and wondered around, blowing out the candles in the room. Each time, the room got dimmer and he could see her beautiful face less.

“Do you prefer a side?” She asked, and he shook his head. “Alright. I’ll try this side for now.”

He watched her as she slipped in to the left side of the bed and pulled up the covers over her shoulders. He hesitated for a second but then took the heavy outerwear he wore every day off and hung it. Then, out of habit, he took his pants off and then looked over to Clarke to see if she was looking. She wasn’t. He made his way to the right side of the bed and slipped in, turning on his side to face the outside of the bed. He felt the tension rolling off the both of them but there were no words to describe or say what was on his mind. He was all too aware of the heat between their bodies and the way she smelled like honey and lavender from the soaps in the restroom. He wished then he had taken a bath too.

“I can hear you thinking,” she mumbled sleepily into her pillow.

“Sorry.”

“Go to sleep Bellamy.” 

He cleared his throat and genuinely tried.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy barely slept. He had been constantly thinking of the body beside him to the point of exhaustion. After a night of fitful resting, he finally falls asleep as soon as the sky turns into the color of Clarke’s eyes and he wakes up a couple of hours later warm, with an arm around his waist, and hot puffs of breath on his neck. He’s comfortable and a little turned on until it dawns on him who the body spooning him belongs to, and he stiffens. Her skin is so soft against him and her hand is on his lower abdomen. He’s so into it, but it scares him, so he wiggles out from under her arm and stands back to look at her with his heart in his throat.

The way her tussled, golden hair spreads over the feather pillows makes his chest clench, and the way her lips are slightly parted makes him lick his.

He sucks in a deep breath and heads to the bathroom where a basin full of water awaits him. He cups some of the cool water in his hands and presses it onto his face, scrubbing it with his fingers. He groans and dries his face, turning back to see that Clarke has moved and so have the covers. Half of a breast is exposed, and an entire, long leg lays over the furs. He feels all the heat inside him stir, and he breathes heavily before deciding to close the door and take care of himself.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Did you sleep well?” Clarke asks, as she walks out from the bedroom and into the kitchen. She picks up and apple and takes a bite.

Bellamy looks up at her and nods. “You?”

“Yep.” She replies, searching for something in the cabinets. He suspects it’s the coffee. “I was warm the whole night.” She says in a sultry tone, and he can’t be sure if he’s imagining it. He clears his throat and goes back to his book. Everything is calm for a few minutes, and then, a knock at the door.

“Come in.” He says in his usual commanding voice. Indra walks in with furrowed brows and lips pressed together. Clarke turns to look at her.

“What’s the matter?” Clarke says very calmly. 

“Clarke,” Indra says, cautiously. Bellamy looks up at the women standing at opposite sides of him. “Did you know there would be more coming down?”

Clarke’s brow folds together. A moment passes.

Indra clears her throat, “There’s been an explosion. A crash.”

Clarke’s face slacks and her skin turns into a white sheet.

“There’s no survivors. Your advisor, Monty, he says it’s the… the Exodus?”

Clarke’s eyelids flutter because she's struggling to hold it together and when Bellamy notices, he stands to go to her side. She looks like she’s about to faint. 

“Who… what…” Tears fill her eyes. Indra’s mouth tightens further. Clarke lets a moment pass and choked sob escapes her lips. “My mother. My mother.”

Bellamy realizes what she’s saying and his heart drops. “Indra, send scouts out to the region. Are any of our people hurt?”

She shakes her head, “Not that we know of, but the scouts will report back to you as soon as they’ve scanned the area.” Bellamy nods at that and Indra excuses herself. 

He takes one look at Clarke. The way her brow is twisted and her mouth is tilted tell him that she’s in need of comfort, so he grabs her soft, warm hand in his and assures her they will find out what happened, although that is a hard promise to make. He also wonders if Clarke knew the ark was coming down, and although he’s curious about the whole thing, he also reminds himself that according to Clarke and Monty, they’d lost communication with the ark just after they’d confirmed that there were people on the ground.

“Let’s head back to Tondc,” Bellamy murmurs close to her, and she looks up at him with a mixture of emotions; desperation, sadness, but also, hope. Bellamy gives her a reassuring look and squeezes her hand gently. She nods at him, looking down at her hand in his and curves the end of her lips up a bit as she sighs. She squeezes back and turns to the bedroom to gather her things.

So much for a honey moon.


	7. Comfort is Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy head back to town after receiving some upsetting news. Delinquent reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are so awesome. Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter. I love comments! (As a writer, I require validation)
> 
> Enjoy!

It was odd for Clarke to think that she found comfort in Bellamy’s arms on the ride back to Tondc since they were just getting to know each other. They were still basically strangers, but she enjoyed this feeling. It provided some respite from the million thoughts of the tragedy of the exodus. He had a hand on her hip while they rode his horse and his warmth pressed against her back made her feel like he had her, no matter what they discovered. She let herself press back against him gently, not in a completely obvious way, but enough to where he noticed and tightened his grip on her hip while he held the reigns with the other hand. Clarke kept telling herself to take deep breaths. They didn’t know that her mother had been on the ship for sure; the only confirmation they could get for that would be to radio the ark. From the last time Raven and Clarke talked, Raven said she would continue working on the radio comms. Hopefully she had made some progress. She was supposed to have ridden into town sometime in the last day or so. 

It was a relief, then, to see her on the courtyard in front of the commander’s lodgings, standing with Wells. Monty, Murphy, and Octavia stood with them and they were in heated conversation until they heard the approaching sound of hoofbeats on the cobblestone paving the way to them. 

Raven turned and looked for Clarke, their eyes finding each other quickly. Raven gave Clarke a tentative smile and then glanced behind her at Bellamy, studying him for a few seconds. They approached and Clarke studied everyone’s face in a few seconds. Octavia was annoyed, Raven was concerned, but relieved to see Clarke, Wells was apprehensive (especially towards Bellamy), and Monty looked like he was confused but relieved as well. Murphy showed no emotion other than boredom, so Clarke didn’t bother trying to read his expression. 

They climbed down from their horses, Bellamy climbing down first and helping Clarke while holding her at the waist. 

They all greeted each other and Bellamy shook both Raven and Wells’ hands. The delinquents hugged for just a bit longer than the others. Bellamy interrupted their brief greetings.

“So, is it the exodus?” Bellamy said, remembering the name of it well. It was Latin after all. Raven turned her eyes towards him and nodded gravelly, looking at Clarke after. Her heart fell to her stomach and anxiously waited for more details.

“But the funny thing is, there were no guards or councilors among the dead.” raven said, her forehead creasing with the thought. She looked at Bellamy again and explained what they saw at the gruesome scene. She explained that the crash site was big, but the exodus had held pretty well. Most people inside the ship were recognizable but they had most likely died on impact. “I’m telling you, it was odd. I don’t think the council approved this one.”

“What do you mean?” Clarke asked, she still wasn’t understanding what Raven was getting at. Her thoughts were too muddled by the anxiety of it all.

“From what we could tell, they were all blue-collar workers. None of them were part of the council and there was no signal that were trained pilots on board. The exodus is an old ship, it was built-in when the ark itself was built. There should have been experienced pilots in the ship, but none of the engineers that I knew from the ark were there. Granted, not all the bodies were recognizable, but from what I can tell Clarke, this looked like a coup. The black box code says that half of the procedures were wrongly executed. No trained engineer would miss that many procedures. Especially not if it was a planned flight.” 

“What now, then?” Bellamy asked, placing his hand on Clarke’s shoulder, while a spark of hope lit in her heart. 

“Well, out of this tragedy, there _are_ some good news.” Raven smiled back at Monty and then at Clarke. Wells kept his eyes trained quizzically on Bellamy. 

“Out with it,” Octavia demanded, and Raven could help but grimace in annoyance at her piercing eyes. 

“There were parts of the ship that were salvageable. More specifically, radio parts.” Raven said, with a wicked smirk. Behind her, Monty smiled slightly. 

Clarke finally cracked a smile, “Are you serious? Do you think you could get a radio working?” 

Raven looked back at Monty and smiled, “I think with Monty helping me, it’s most likely that we will have one in the next couple of days.” 

The excitement at _some_ good coming out of this miserable business had lifted some of the stress off her shoulders. And now that they knew this was a coup, it was possible her mother was alive.

“What do you need to get this working?” Bellamy asked, looking from Clarke to Monty. Monty launched into some requirements and Bellamy immediately sent Murphy on the errands needed to get it done. 

“There’s something else.” Raven said, “There is a significant amount of hydrazine at the crash site.” 

“What does that mean?” Clarke asked for clarification. 

“It’s a highly flammable and explosive chemical,” Wells finally spoke, and Raven eyed him with a smirk on her face. Apparently, the boy did listen when she talked. “We need to remove it before we can safely approach spare parts. It may also benefit us to store such a thing, whether we may need it for fuel or weapons later.” 

Bellamy tightened his lips and examined Wells. “What would we need weapons for?” 

A tense silence followed. “I’ve been talking with Lincoln.” Wells confessed, and Clarke could see Octavia’s face shift with muddled emotions. 

“And what has Lincoln told you?” Bellamy said, his commander voice in full swing. Clarke felt like she was in between the two men. She silently prayed that neither of them, her protective best friend, or her powerful husband, would take the other as a threat.

“He mentioned tensions are high with a clan called Azgeda.” Clarke’s brow furrowed and she turned towards Bellamy with questioning eyes. This was the first time she was hearing of this. Belamy’s jaw tightened. “He said Trikru has no intentions of war, but we need to be aware, so that our people don’t trigger something with them, since we are closer to their borders and are more likely to encounter them.” 

“Why wasn’t I told of this?” Clarke demanded calmly. 

Bellamy’s eyes flickered to Clarke’s for a second but then met with Octavia’s. He pulled in a breath through his nose and then looked back at Wells, “We are in the process of renewing treaty talks with Azgeda. Conflict is not on the horizon at this point. Lincoln is right, we should _all_ avoid undictated run-ins with their clan, but our people have nothing to worry about.” 

Clarke kept her eyes on Bellamy’s face, ‘look at me,’ she wanted to say, but she knew this conversation was best left to their private quarters. 

“I will escort Raven and Monty to the crash site with a group of my men. Raven, come with me, I need you to find some suitable storage for the hydrazine.” Ocatavia declared. Raven nodded at her and excused herself, Monty following them both. 

“I have things I need to take care of, excuse me.” Bellamy said, and headed to his office, Indra and Miller following. 

Clarke sighed and looked up at Wells. “Hi,” 

“Hey,” he said, finally smiling softly and hugging Clarke once again. “How are you? How is... _this_?” He asked, gesturing to their surroundings. 

Clarke chuckled. “It’s good. They people here are very kind. They truly want to help. How is everything back at the dropship?” 

Wells smiled, “Things are good. We have the base of a few buildings locked in, and our hunting parties are getting more and more thanks to the help of Lincoln and the people he brought with him. I’ll tell you more at the meeting tomorrow.” He paused, “How’s the commander?” 

Clarke pursed her lips, “He’s...” she paused, trying to think of the right words.

Wells face shifted into anger, “What? He’s what?” 

Clarke looked up at him and laughed at his expression, “No, no. He’s great. Uhm. Good. He’s very... considerate.” 

Wells anger diluted to confusion, “Considerate?” 

Clarke rolled her eyes and smiled, “We’re still getting to know each other Wells. He’s been very respectful and helpful. That’s all I could ask for.” 

Wells raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded. “I guess so.” Another pause, “Do you think you have a chance at a real marriage?” 

Clarke breathed in and thought for a second before answering. “I think we’d need to become friends first for me to answer that. But this _is_ a real marriage Wells. I am bound to him as much as he is to me. We’re eventually going to have children,” she said, feeling her face flushing, “And I’m going to be with him for the rest of my life, according to grounder tradition.” 

Wells nodded in acceptance. Eventually, they changed the subject and walked around town, Clarke’s heart feeling lighter than when she rode in.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clarke walked into their quarters a few hours later in the early afternoon once Octavia had left with the others and she waved them all off. She felt strange as she walked in through the wooden and iron doors as if she owned the place, and the insecure part of her brain told her to tone the power walk down, but the rest of her knew that she belonged here, and these rooms were as much hers as they were Bellamy’s now. She closed the doors behind her and noticed that her belongings from the long house had been packed and delivered to her new quarters. They sat by the stairs going up to her and Bellamy’s private apartment. The one she had never seen before. She inhaled and started towards the stairs, picking up her things on her way up. She felt a bit sad that there was only a sack-full of things she’d brought with her from the dropship and her ark-issued clothing. She walked up the stairs and was met with a landing at the top and a simple wooden door that led to her new living space. She braced herself and walked in the door, knocking first as mere courtesy.

There was a chandelier with half-burnt candles hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the middle bedroom. A bed with four long posts that had fabric attached to them sat against the far wall and there was a long couch in front of it with a table that held some books and candles on it. The room was not extravagant and that pleased Clarke. There was soft toned browns and white bleached furs scattered about the room. There were two doors to the right of the bed but they were closed, and she assumed she would see what was on the other side of them later. The room looked... cozy. There were two twin dressers by the windows. Two large windows which were wide and open, and displayed a view to the gardens on the back of the house and the town over the stone fence. Two guards were visible in the distance, standing at each corner of the stone wall. Bellamy was standing with his arms crossed, looking out into the green space with a concentrated look on his face. The light from outside lit his curls into a lighter brown and reflected perfectly on his face, outlining his cheekbones and jaw. Clarke walked in softly and placed the sack filled with her belongings on the couch in front of the bed. Bellamy’s stance made him look so damn impressive. His shoulders were strong and wide. His back and arms muscled to perfection. He looked like one of those greek statues she’d seen in the history books up at the ark. Clarke’s stomach filled with butterflies as she remembered the way he had held her on their way back this morning and the way he felt against her back.

“Hey,” She said, breathily. Bellamy’s head snapped up and he turned slightly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“You didn’t. I was just thinking.” He said, turning towards the window again. “Gaia came by.” 

“What did she say?” Clarke asked, walking towards the other window. 

“That we cut our honeymoon too short.” He scoffed. 

Clarke rolled her eyes, “There was an emergency.” 

“Mm-hm.” He hummed in agreement. He turned his face slightly toward her and then, “She asked if we consummated the marriage.” 

Clarke could feel her face turning beet-red. “And you said?” 

“That we had.” He replied, turning towards the window again. “Spared her the ‘details.’” He smirked. Clarke took a moment and then laughed. 

“Thanks for covering for us. What now?” 

“Now, we get to know each other. And wait until the moment is right.” He said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His soft, brown eyes gazed into hers and she felt like she could not breathe. He was so beautiful, this man, inside and out. He was being so patient with this marriage and she wasn’t going to question his reasons. For all she knew, he just wasn’t attracted to her, but either way, building a friendship between them could help that. “I’m not going to let a timeline dictate my marriage.” He said, in all seriousness, and Clarke felt her heart do flips. She could tell him. She could tell him that she had been ready from the moment she married him. That she wanted to run his hands over his shoulders and his chest. That she wanted to run her fingers over his lips and she wanted his hands to hold her and explore her. She wanted him to kiss her dumb. But of course, she kept her those thoughts to herself and said something else instead. 

“Sounds fair to me.” 

They looked at each other and held their ground. The air shifted when she asked: “Bellamy, why didn’t you tell me about Azgeda?” 

He took a deep breath and turned completely toward her. “I wanted to tell you when we got back. Your friend just beat me to it.” 

“Okay.” She said, giving him the benefit of the doubt. “So, what is going on with that?” 

“Azgeda is a different kru from us. They live in the land bordering with the dropship land and the land that was gifted to you and Spacekru when we married. Their clan is... different. Their belief system comes from glory in war.” 

“Which means they’re blood thirsty.” 

“Yes.” He replied. Clarke was glad he wasn’t sugar-coating it. “Trikru has had a standing treaty with Azgeda. It was written to last for ten years.” His hand went to push his hair back, “The treaty ends this winter.” 

Clarke showed the concern on her face, and Bellamy was careful to not let all of his show. 

“Their queen, Niya... She’s not so keen on the current treaty. Her late husband drew it up with the previous Trikru commander and now that he’s gone.... well, she wants more. More than we can give. Her son, Roan, was exiled when his father passed, but word and our scouts say that his exile is up and he will be returning to Azgeda soon to reclaim the throne from his mother. We’re in a delicate place. I believe I can work a better treaty with Roan than I can with his mother. But he’s not king.” 

“Yet.” 

Bellamy looked at her with questioning eyes. “Bellamy, you’re telling me that our people will suffer under the current Azgeda rule.” He nodded slowly, “Then why aren’t we helping Roan?” 

“That would go against the Coalition we have with the other clans.” He answered, placing his hands on his hips. “At least, helping him take the throne would.”

“So there are other ways we can help him.” She noted, and Bellamy tilted his head in a sort of dangerous admission. “Then we need to get a message to him, through our scouts. My people--our people are in a precarious position if Azgeda decides to rescind on the treaty.”

Bellamy stood quietly, mulling over the suggestion. He drew a deep breath, “I could talk to Indra and get a message to our scouts. We can offer him shelter and a place for him to recoup if he can help us after he’s king.”

Clarke nodded. “Then that’s what we need to do.”

“Clarke,” he hesitated, “There’s more.”

She searched his eyes.

“There’s Mount Weather.” He said, tilting his chin up, and she heard the tension in his deep voice.

“Mount Weather?” she asked, perplexed. When they landed, they were supposed to head to Mount Weather, but they had been unable to cross the river into the territory due to some crazy grounders. Without weapons and defenseless, the group had turned back to search for another way until they realized those weren’t the only grounders. “Is it not occupied by Trikru? It is part of our territory.”

Bellamy shifted his weight. “Mount Weather is occupied by the mountain men. They’re extremely dangerous. They capture Trikru members and get them addicted to some drug that turns them into savages. The coalition has promised Trikru to help with the mountain men for years, but out Heda hasn’t sent in troops or helped us form a plan to release the people the Mountain Men have captured.”

“Wait, what?” Clarke shook her head, “There’s men in there? I thought it had been abandoned?”

“There has been men inside the mountain since our ancestors can remember. They wear some sort of protective suit. We have captured one before, but when we took the suit off to question him, he became extremely ill,” Bellamy explained, frowning as if he couldn’t understand what he had seen. “His skin burned and he died within a few hours.”

Clarke looked at Bellamy and then frowned, looking down at the floor. Could it be?

“Radiation.” She whispered.

“What?” 

“He died from radiation.” She explained, a little louder. “It’s the only reason why he would be wearing a suit, and why he would become that sick just from taking it off.”

“I don’t understand.” 

“You and I, we can live with the higher radiation in the air. You can because your ancestors somehow survived and you were born in it. And I’m from space. My body can withstand it. Somehow the Mountain men can’t.” Bellamy still looked perplexed, but somehow he trusted what Clark was saying and understood that this was part of the technology Skaikru had access to that they didn’t. “You said they have your people?”

“They’ve captured several of them, yes. Some have been released but… They’re not people. They’re… different. Wild.” He ran his hand through his hair again. Clarke thought about the way he was describing things. He said something about a drug. She walked over to the couch and sat down.

“You said they were giving them drugs.” She looked up at him.

“So I’ve been told.”

“They must be addictive. Or hallucinogenic.” She said, “It’s the only way I can think they could control them.”

Bellamy looked at Clarke with admiration and a certain spark in his eye. “How do you know that?”

“They can’t be releasing people that aren’t, well, people. Either they’re doing some hardcore testing, or they’re using the released grounders to set up a perimiter around the mountain. Which would explain why we got attacked when we first landed and attempted to cross the river.”

“That’s a thought,” he said.

“And what are they doing with the other people they’re keeping?” Clarke asked even though she knew Bellamy had limited answers. He recognized the question for what it was. Curiosity. Clarke was onto something.

“Bellamy, if these people are really a threat within our own ground, we need to take care of them before the winter. If Azgeda decides to attack while we have Mount Weather weakening us from the inside, we’re going to be in some serious trouble.” She said with urgency.

“I agree. We’ve tried to find a weakness before though. There’s no way to get an army into the mountain. All the exits are sealed from the inside. Underground tunnels have failed. The mountain is reinforced underneath the earth.”

“It’s a bunker. There’s no other way to get in but the entrances.” She said with finality. He nodded, knowing as much. “There’s only one way.”

“What is that?”

“We need an inside man. Someone who is willing to put their life in danger to communicate with us from the inside. Whether that is by getting captured or otherwise. If we can get someone into the mountain and they can radio us from the inside, we can get in.”

Bellamy frowned, considering the option thoroughly. “I can’t ask any of my people to do that. It’s too dangerous.”

Clarke looked down at her feet. “I know.”

A silence passed between them.

“I’ll do it.” He said tightly. Her head snapped up.

“You can’t.”

He examined her. “I can’t ask anyone else to do it. Besides, I’m the only one who has successfully been a spy in the past. I have the experience.”

“That may be, but Mount Weather has advanced technology. They were closed in at the same time the ark was. They have probably evolved it by now.” She explained, “we have no way of knowing what types of things you will encounter.”

“And your people will?”

“They may be able to better understand it.”

“Then have them teach me, Clarke.”

The way he said her name made her chest tighten. No. She wouldn’t lose anyone else. Not after her father. Not after the 18 kids at the dropship. Not after not knowing whether her mother was alive or not.

“No.” She knew she was being selfish. And she understood that if it wasn’t him, it’d be someone else. Someone from the dropship.

“Since I don’t take orders from you, I’m going to need a better reason.” He said, his face stern and questioning.

Clarke hesitated, scared and incredibly vulnerable, but finally said, “I can’t lose you too, okay?”

Bellamy reared his head back in shock, but he understood and his jaw clenched. She sat in front of him with blurry eyes, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes and she looked up to the ceiling to prevent them from falling. Bellamy stepped closer and knelt in front of her.

“We will talk about this tomorrow with Indra. Let’s sleep on it.” He suggested. She met his eyes and she breathed in to calm herself. After a moment, she nodded. He smiled softly in return and reached for her hands. She reached for his too.

“You’re my husband now, Commander Blake.” She whispered, and the moment felt infinitely intimate. “You can’t make decisions by yourself.”

With the corners of his lips still tilted up he said “I know, Clarke. I know.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a few more seconds, finding comfort in each other. He broke the silence and Said, “Are you hungry? Let’s eat our first decent meal in days.”

Clarke laughed, “Okay.”


End file.
